Gospel group Kevin LeVar & One Sound have announced a live CD and DVD recording of their sophomore project, Destiny – Live at the Dream Center, to take place on Friday, January 27th at 7:00 p.m. Admission is free for the taping, which will take place before a live audience at the Dream Center’s Angelus Temple (1100 Glendale Boulevard) in Los Angeles.

The Dream Center is partnering with Kevin LeVar & One Sound to bus in more than 500 people from Los Angeles-area shelters and outreach programs for a true night of life-changing ministry.

“This new project is all about destiny,” says LeVar. “You were born to be great! If there’s a dream down in your heart that is longing to get out, this is a night you can’t afford to miss.”

This new project from God Glorified Music, Inc., is the long-awaited follow-up to LeVar’s debut album, Let’s Come Together, which spawned a deluxe edition re-release and the hit singles “You Are Not Alone” and “A Heart that Forgives,” both of which shot to #1 and received “Best Video” nominations from television network GMC.

LeVar is in the midst of his year-long Forgive and Live Today Campaign, a movement that was created to inspire one million acts of forgiveness. In June, LeVar kicked off the campaign with a performance in the East Room of the White House in Washington, DC. Gospel legends CeCe Winans and Hezekiah Walker, former Commissioned member Marcus Cole, Coco Brother and others have lent their voices to the cause, appearing at live events around the country. For more details, visit www.forgiveandlivetoday.org.

For more information, visit www.kevinlevar.com.

Powerhouse vocalist Natalie Grant will make her football debut at the 13th Annual National Football League’s Super Bowl Gospel Celebration. The show will tape before a live audience at 7:30pm EST on Friday, February 3, 2012 at the Clowes Memorial Hall on Butler University in Indianapolis, IN.

Sponsored by American Family Insurance and Verizon Wireless, the celebration is hosted by Wayne Brady, current host of the iconic CBS game show “Let’s Make A Deal,” and gospel’s sweetheart CeCe Winans. Grant will be performing alongside American Idol winner Fantasia, Donnie McClurkin, Hezekiah Walker and “Players Choice” Wess Morgan, and Verizon’s How Sweet the Sound 2011 Overall Winning Choir, Salvation and Deliverance Church Choir.

In 2010, Grant released her chart-topping album Love Revolution, which gave her the highest-selling debut of her career. This heart-gripping songwriter and charismatic performer has an unshakable determination to remind listeners of the simple significance of love, and the revolutionary power that it carries. As a recent Grammy Nominee, GMA Female Vocalist of the Year for four consecutive years (2006-2009) and the top-selling Adult Contemporary female solo artist in 2005, 2006 and 2008, Grant is among a select number of artists to have achieved a formidable foothold at mainstream media and radio. Despite these accomplishments, it is the message of the Gospel, and the revolutionary power of love it carries, that she waves as her banner and her hope.

The Super Bowl Gospel Celebration has become legendary for its hand clappin’, soul-stirrin’ and foot stompin’ performances from artists including Patti LaBelle, BeBe Winans, Mary Mary, Israel Houghton & New Breed, Yolanda Adams, Jaci Velasquez, Fred Hammond and many more. NFL Players that have made appearances include Cris Carter, John Elway, Donovan McNabb, Kurt Warner, Tim Brown and Darrell Green, Raheem Morris and many more.

Tickets for the 2012 Super Bowl Gospel Celebration are on sale at www.ticketmaster.com, www.superbowlgospel.com. Prices are $99, $79, $59, and $39 (additional service fees and taxes apply). Since its inception in 1999, the Super Bowl Gospel Celebration has partnered with a charity in each Super Bowl host city. This year, Gary Brackett’s IMPACT Foundation has been selected as the event’s charitable partner. For each ticket purchased for the Super Bowl Gospel Celebration, $3.00 will go to the Foundation.

For more information on Super Bowl Gospel Celebration, please visit www.superbowlgospel.com and for the latest news and information on Natalie Grant, please log on to www.nataliegrant.com.

ABOUT NATALIE GRANT: A powerhouse vocalist, heart-gripping songwriter and charismatic performer, Natalie Grant has an unshakable determination to remind us of the simple significance of love, and the revolutionary power that it carries, as expressed on her latest project, Love Revolution. Released in August 2010, Love Revolution gave Natalie the highest-selling debut of her career. As a Grammy Nominee, GMA Female Vocalist of the Year for four consecutive years (2006-2009) and the top-selling Adult Contemporary female solo artist in 2005, 2006 and 2008, Grant is among a select number of artists to have achieved a formidable foothold at mainstream media and radio. Despite these accomplishments, it is the message of the Gospel, and the revolutionary power of love it carries, that she waves as her banner and her hope. Beyond her artistry, Grant remains an outspoken advocate for victims of human trafficking through Abolition International, which she created in 2005. She balances all of these endeavors with her greatest calling-as a wife, and mother of three.

ABOUT THE SUPER BOWL GOSPEL CELEBRATION: The Super Bowl Gospel Celebration was launched in Miami in 1999 during Super Bowl XXXIII weekend. Few recognized that many athletes and fans desired an event to celebrate the big game, not only to show their love for football, but also an outlet to express their faith through uplifting sounds and the rich culture of gospel music. In 2002, the event became the first and remains the only gospel event sanctioned by the NFL. Since its inception, the show has drawn crowds in the thousands and has demonstrated growth year-over-year, selling out venues in major Super Bowl host cities including Dallas, Tampa, Detroit, Jacksonville, Houston and Phoenix.

The movie Red Tails surprised many critics with it’s strong debut this week coming in at #2.  Four new movies were released this weekend, and the established fan base of Underworld was figured to run-away with the first weekend sales.  This was not the case.

Red Tails cruised into second place with a very respectable $19.1 million thanks to a strong buzz from facebook and twitter users.  The African American community was set to come out and support after news broke that Hollywood would not put up the money because of the all black cast in leading roles.  Viewers Friday sent a loud message to Hollywood.

The community came out in droves, but audiences were mixed with all ethnicities interested in the real life account of the Tuskegee airmen.   To put the accomplishment into perspective we can look at what other airplane fighter pilot movies have done in their first week. 

Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow ($15.6 million), Stealth ($13.3 million), and Flyboys ($6 million), though it was about even with Sky Captain in estimated attendance. The audience breakdown was 51 percent male and 66 percent 25 years and older. The movie received an “A” CinemaScore, which improved to a fantastic “A+” score for those below 18 and above 50. Also of note: Red Tails marks distributor 20th Century Fox’s best opening for a non-franchise title since last April’s Rio.

Underworld Awakening took home the top spot at the box office this weekend with 25.4 million, Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close and Haywire were less impressive, though, and The Artist failed to gain much traction in its nationwide expansion. The Top 12 movies this week earned an estimated $111.7 million this weekend, which is up a whopping 26 percent from the same period last year.

Highly acclaimed singer/songwriter, Andrew Peterson, will be entering the recording studio this week working on his third studio project for Centricity Music, which will release early fall 2012. Peterson, who has been called “one of the greatest Christian lyricists of all time,” has written all new songs for the album. The CD will be produced by long-time collaborator, Ben Shive (Sara Groves/Matt Werz/Eric Peters) and Cason Cooley (Matthew Perryman Jones/Katie Herzig/Mat Kearney/Sixpence None The Richer), with Andy Gullahorn co-producing.

“I’m as scared and as excited as ever about going into the studio,” says Peterson. “The whole process of writing the songs, then choosing them, then trying to find the best way to record them, feels like fumbling around in the dark looking for a light switch. That’s why it’s so nice to have guys like Ben Shive, Andy Gullahorn, and Cason Cooley to help me find my way. They’re amazing at what they do, and I totally trust them. If I were to stick with the light switch analogy, it’s like they have night vision goggles or something.”

Following the recording of his new album, Peterson will once again join the spring leg of Steven Curtis Chapman’s Songs & Stories Tour, which also features Josh Wilson. The fall leg of the tour was such a success with sold-out dates and enthusiastic audiences that Chapman booked the spring 2012 dates that launch February 2nd in Tulsa (Broken Arrow), OK and conclude March 11th in Ocala, FL.

“Being on the road with SCC last fall was an amazing experience,” adds Peterson, “not just because of the music or the audiences; I made some great new friends in the process and got to be part of Show Hope’s ministry. I can’t believe we get to do it again in 2012.”

Also upcoming for Peterson this year will be his 3rd annual RabbitRoom.com event, Hutchmoot 2012. The event will be held in Nashville this fall, and dates will be announced soon. Last year’s conference, featuring best-selling author Sally Lloyd-Jones, sold out in six hours! Peterson will begin writing the fourth and final installment of his Wingfeather Saga series in early 2013, following his highly successful Behold The Lamb Of God Christmas tour in December. This year the tour will include two shows at Nashville’s historic Ryman auditorium.

For more information on Peterson please visit online at www.andrew-peterson.com or www.centricitymusic.com

According to CNN legendary singer Etta James has passed away due to complications with leukemia.

Etta James whose prominent voice lit up such hits as “Something’s Got a Hold on Me” and the wedding favorite “At Last,” has died, according to her longtime friend and manager, Lupe De Leon. She was 73.

She died from complications from leukemia with her husband, Artis Mills, and her sons by her side, De Leon said.

She was diagnosed with leukemia in 2010, and also suffered from dementia and hepatitis C. James died at a hospital in Riverside, California.  James would have turned 74 Wednesday.

“This is a tremendous loss for the family, her friends and fans around the world,” De Leon said. “She was a true original who could sing it all — her music defied category.

“I worked with Etta for over 30 years. She was my friend and I will miss her always.”

The Black Gospel Blog, reports that Etta James has been connected with the church most of her life.  James received her early musical training from famed choir director J. Earle Hines, and also participated as a young girl in the Echoes of Eden choir of the St. Paul Baptist Church of Los Angeles.

Click Here to Read More CNN

The 43rd annual NAACP Image Awards were announced on January 19, and “The Help” leads the pack with eight nominations.  Gospel groups like Sounds of Blackness hang tough with R&B Groups in the Outstanding Duo, Group or Collaboration category.  Director/Producer Tyler Perry’s works also warranted nominations.  Kirk Franklin was nominated in two categories.

Check out the full list of nominations below:

Movies
Outstanding Motion Picture
“Jumping the Broom”
“Pariah”
“The First Grader”
“The Help”
“Tower Heist”

Outstanding Actor in a Motion Picture
Eddie Murphy – “Tower Heist”
Laurence Fishburne – “Contagion”
Laz Alonso -“Jumping the Broom”
Oliver Litondo – “The First Grader”
Vin Diesel – “Fast Five”

Outstanding Actress in a Motion Picture
Adepero Oduye – “Pariah”
Emma Stone -” The Help”
Paula Patton – “Jumping the Broom”
Viola Davis – “The Help”
Zoe Saldana – “Colombiana”

Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture
Anthony Mackie – “The Adjustment Bureau”
Charles Parnell – “Pariah”
Don Cheadle – “The Guard”
Jeffrey Wright – “The Ides of March”
Mike Epps – “Jumping the Broom”

Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture
Bryce Dallas Howard – “The Help”
Cicely Tyson – “The Help”
Kim Wayans – “Pariah”
Maya Rudolph – “Bridesmaids”
Octavia Spencer – “The Help”

Outstanding Independent Motion Picture
“I Will Follow”
“Kinyarwanda”
“MOOZ-lum”
“Pariah”
“The First Grader”

Outstanding Foreign Motion Picture
“A Separation”
“Attack the Block”
“In the Land of Blood and Honey”
“Le Havre”
“Life, Above All”

Outstanding Documentary (Theatrical or Television)
“Beats, Rhymes & Life: The Travels of A Tribe Called Quest”
“Being Elmo: A Puppeteer’s Journey”
“Sing Your Song”
“The Rescuers”
“Thunder Soul”

TV
Outstanding Comedy Series
“Love That Girl! “
“Modern Family”
“Reed Between the Lines”
“The Game”
“Tyler Perry’s House of Payne”

Outstanding Actor in a Comedy Series
Dule Hill – “Psych”
Malcolm-Jamal Warner – “Reed Between the Lines”
Phil Morris – “Love That Girl! “
Pooch Hall – “The Game”
Terry Crews – “Are We There Yet? “

Outstanding Actress in a Comedy Series
Tatyana Ali – “Love That Girl! “
Tia Mowry-Hardrict – “The Game”
Tracee Ellis Ross – “Reed Between the Lines”
Vanessa Williams – “Desperate Housewives”
Wendy Raquel Robinson – “The Game”

Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series
Craig Robinson – “The Office”
Damon Wayans, Jr. – “Happy Endings”
J.B. Smoove – “Curb Your Enthusiasm”
Nick Cannon – “Up All Night”
Tracy Morgan – “30 Rock”

Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series
Amber Riley – “Glee”
Gabourey Sidibe – “The Big C”
Keshia Knight Pulliam – “Tyler Perry’s House of Payne”
Maya Rudolph – “Up All Night”
Sofia Vergara – “Modern Family”

Outstanding Drama Series
“Boardwalk Empire”
“Grey’s Anatomy”
“Law & Order: Special Victims Unit”
“The Good Wife”
“Treme”

Outstanding Actor in a Drama Series
Andre Braugher – “Men of a Certain Age”
Hill Harper – “CSI: NY”
L.L. Cool J – “NCIS: Los Angeles”
Taye Diggs – “Private Practice”
Wendell Pierce – “Treme”

Outstanding Actress in a Drama Series
Chandra Wilson – “Grey’s Anatomy”
Khandi Alexander – “Treme”
Regina King – “SouthLAnd”
Sandra Oh – “Grey’s Anatomy”
Taraji P. Henson – “Person of Interest”

Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series
Corey Reynolds – “The Closer”
Ice T – “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit”
James Pickens, Jr. – “Grey’s Anatomy”
Nelsan Ellis – “True Blood”
Omar Epps – “House M.D.”

Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series
Alfre Woodard – “Memphis Beat”
Anika Noni Rose – “Law & Order Special Victims Unit”
Archie Panjabi – “The Good Wife”
Diahann Carroll – “White Collar”
Loretta Devine – “Grey’s Anatomy”

Outstanding Television Movie, Mini-Series or Dramatic Special
“Five”
“Hallmark Hall of Fame, Mitch Albom’s Have a Little Faith”
“Luther”
“The Least Among You”
“Thurgood”

Outstanding Actor in a Television Movie, Mini-Series or Dramatic Special
Esai Morales – “We Have Your Husband” Idris Elba – “Luther”
Laurence Fishburne – “Thurgood”
Louis Gossett, Jr. – “The Least Among You”
Samuel L. Jackson – “The Sunset Limited”

Outstanding Actress in a Television Movie, Mini-Series or Dramatic Special
Anika Noni Rose – “Hallmark Hall of Fame, Mitch Albom’s Have a Little Faith” Jenifer Lewis – “Five”
Rosario Dawson – “Five”
Taraji P. Henson – “Taken From Me: The Tiffany Rubin Story”
Tracee Ellis Ross – “Five”

Outstanding Actor in a Daytime Drama Series
Aaron D. Spears – “The Bold and the Beautiful”
Bryton James -” The Young and the Restless”
Emerson Brooks – “All My Children”
James Reynolds – “Days of Our Lives”
Texas Battle – “The Bold and the Beautiful”

Outstanding Actress in a Daytime Drama Series
Christel Khalil – “The Young and the Restless”
Julia Pace Mitchell – “The Young and the Restless”
Tatyana Ali – “The Young and the Restless”
Tonya Lee Williams – “The Young and the Restless”
Yvette Freeman – “The Bold and the Beautiful”

Outstanding News/Information (Series or Special)
“BET News Exclusive: The President Answers Black America”
“Judge Mathis”
“Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel”
“Unsung”
“Washington Watch with Roland Martin”

Outstanding Talk Series
“Anderson “
“Oprah’s Lifeclass”
“The Doctors”
“The View”
“The Wendy Williams Show”

Outstanding Reality Series
“All-American Muslim”
“American Idol”
“Dancing with the Stars”
“Sunday Best”
“Tia & Tamera”

Outstanding Variety Series or Special
“2011 BET Awards”
“Black Girls Rock! “
“Oprah Presents: Master Class”
“Prince! Behind the Symbol”
“UNCF An Evening of Stars Tribute to Chaka Khan”

Outstanding Children’s Program
“A.N.T. Farm”
“Dora the Explorer”
“Go, Diego! Go! “
“I Can Be President: A Kid’s-Eye View”
“My Family Tree”

Outstanding Performance in a Youth/Children’s Program (Series or Special)
China Anne McClain – “A.N.T. Farm”
Keke Palmer – “True Jackson, VP”
Lance Robertson – “Yo Gabba Gabba”
Leon Thomas III – “Victorious”
Zendaya Coleman – “Shake It Up”

Recording
Outstanding New Artist
Committed
Diggy Simmons
Landau Eugene Murphy, Jr.
Mindless Behavior
Wynter Gordon

Outstanding Male Artist
Anthony Hamilton
Bruno Mars
Cee Lo Green
Chris Brown
Common

Outstanding Female Artist
Beyonce
Jennifer Hudson
Jill Scott
Ledisi
Mary J. Blige

Outstanding Duo, Group or Collaboration
Boyz II Men
Cee Lo Green feat. Melanie Fiona
Mary J. Blige feat. Drake
Sounds of Blackness
The Roots

Outstanding Jazz Album
“Chano y Dizzy” – Terence Blanchard and Poncho Sanchez
“Friends” – Stanley Jordan
“Guitar Man” – George Benson
“Legacy” – Gerald Wilson
“Road Show Vol. 2” – Sonny Rollins

Outstanding Gospel Album (Traditional or Contemporary)
“Becoming” – Yolanda Adams
“Church on the Moon” – Deitrick Haddon
“Hello Fear” – Kirk Franklin
“Something Big” – Mary Mary
“The Journey” – Andrae Crouch

Outstanding World Music Album
“Afrodiaspora” – Susana Baca
“Carnival Fever” – Brother B
“Live at 2011 New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival” – Boukman Eksperyans
“Sounds of Blackness” – Sounds of Blackness
“The First Grader” – Alex Heffes

Outstanding Music Video
“25/8” – Mary J. Blige
“Hear My Call” – Jill Scott
“I Was Here” – Beyoncé
“Someone Like You” – Adele
“Where You At” – Jennifer Hudson

Outstanding Song
“Best Thing I Never Had” – Beyonce
“Fool for You” feat. Melanie Fiona – Cee Lo Green
“I Smile” – Kirk Franklin
“So In Love” feat. Anthony Hamilton – Jill Scott
“Someone Like You” – Adele

Outstanding Album
“4” – Beyonce
“F.A.M.E. ” – Chris Brown
“I Remember Me” – Jennifer Hudson
“Lasers” – Lupe Fiasco
“The Light of the Sun” – Jill Scott

Literature
Outstanding Literary Work – Fiction
“A Silken Thread” – Brenda Jackson
“Boundaries” – Elizabeth Nunez
“Say Amen, Again” – Reshonda Tate Billingsley
“Silver Sparrow” – Tayari Jones
“The Plot Against Hip Hop: A Novel” – Nelson George

Outstanding Literary Work – Non-Fiction
“Sister Citizen: Shame, Stereotypes, and Black Women in America” – Melissa Harris-Perry
“Super Rich” – Russell Simmons
“The Cosmopolitan Canopy” – Elijah Anderson
“The Wealth Cure: Putting Money in Its Place” – Hill Harper
“Who’s Afraid of Post-Blackness?: What It Means to Be Black Now” – Toure

Outstanding Literary Work – Debut Author
“2Grieve 2Gether: A Journal from the Heart Helping Survivors & Supporters Navigate the Healing Process” – Denise Hall Brown
“A Defining Moment”- Patricia Duncan
“The Loom” – Shella Gillus
“The Strawberry Letter” – Lyah Le Flore
“We the Animals” – Justin Torres

Outstanding Literary Work – Biography/Auto-Biography
“A Singular Woman: The Untold Story of Barack Obama’s Mother” – Janny Scott
“Malcolm X: A Life of Reinvention” – Manning Marable
“My Song” – Harry Belafonte
“No Higher Honor: A Memoir of My Years in Washington” – Condoleezza Rice
“The John Carlos Story” – John Carlos, Dave Zirin

Outstanding Literary Work – Instructional
“A Year to Wellness and Other Weight Loss Secrets” – Bertice Berry
“Living My Dream: An Artistic Approach to Marketing” – Synthia Saint James
“Our Difficult Sunlight: A Guide to Poetry, Literacy, & Social Justice in Classroom & Community” – Quraysh Ali Lansana
“The T.D. Jakes Relationship Bible: Life Lessons on Relationships from the Inspired Word of God” – T.D. Jakes
“Too Important to Fail: Saving America’s Boys” – Tavis Smiley (Author), Juan Roberts (Illustrator)

Outstanding Literary Work – Poetry
“Afro Clouds & Nappy Rain: The Curtis Brown Poems” – James Golden
“Head Off & Split” – Nikky Finney
“Honoring Genius: The Narrative of Craft, Art, Kindness and Justice” – Haki Madhubuti
“Intimate Thoughts” – Darrin Henson (Author), Anna Saunders (Illustrator)
“Last Seen” – Jacqueline Jones Lamon

Outstanding Literary Work – Children
“Acoustic Rooster and His Barnyard Band” – Kwame Alexander (Author), Tim Bowers (Illustrator)
“Before There Was Mozart” – Lesa Cline-Ransome (Author), James Ransome (Illustrator)
“Heart and Soul” – Kadir Nelson (Author/Illustrator)
“White Water” – Michael S. Bandy (Author), Shadra Strickland (Illustrator)
“You Can Be A Friend” – Tony Dungy (Author), Ron Mazellan (Illustrator)

Outstanding Literary Work – Youth/Teens
“Camo Girl” – Kekla Magoon
“Eliza’s Freedom Road: An Underground Railroad Diary” – Jerdine Nolan (Author), Sadra Strickland (Illustrator)
“Jesse Owens: I Always Loved Running” – Jeff Burlingame
“Kick” – Walter Dean
“Planet Middle School” – Nikki Grimes

GMC TV, America’s favorite channel for uplifting music and family entertainment, presents the World Television Premiere of the original gospel play “Sugar Mommas,” starring Daytime Emmy© nominee Vanessa Williams (“Lincoln Heights,” “Soul Food”) and NAACP Image Award© winner Terri J. Vaughn (“Meet the Browns,” Daddy’s Little Girls). “Sugar Mommas” premieres on GMC Saturday, January 21ST at 7:00 p.m. ET with encore broadcasts at 9:00 p.m. and 11:00 p.m. ET.

“Sugar Mommas” features a stellar cast including Daytime Emmy nominee Vanessa Williams (“Lincoln Heights,” “Soul Food”), NAACP Image Award winner Terri J. Vaughn (“Meet the Browns,” Daddy’s Little Girls), Rachel True (“Half & Half”), Lamman Rucker (“Meet the Browns,” Why Did I Get Married Too?), Tommy Ford (“Martin”) and the Grammy-nominated and Stellar Award Winner Gospel music sensation VaShawn Mitchell (in photo). “Sugar Mommas” is directed by Roger Melvin (“The Love You Save,” “She’s Still Not Our Sister”), and written by Cas Sigers (A Cross To Bear).

Inspiring, heart-warming and hilarious, “Sugar Mommas” centers on three 40-something women who start a bakery together to fulfill their own sweet desires to be independent women after motherhood, failed marriages and the loss of loved ones have left indelible marks on their lives. Together, their story is a celebration of womanhood, the good and the bad, as each learns new lessons about maturing, love and romance, and opportunity.

“Sugar Mommas” follows Sisters Sheila (Vaughn) and Lynn (Williams), who have lived very different lives. Sheila is widowed and Lynn recently divorced with a daughter in college. With time on their hands and longing for something different, they decide to start a business together and, having always loved sweets, a bakery seems a natural choice for them. When they invite close friend Tommi (Rachel True) to join them as their specialty pie maker, their recipe for success is complete. But these three women’s personalities are as distinct as the cupcake flavors they invent: Lynn is sassy and bold; Sheila is sweet and enduring, often to her own detriment; and Tommi is extremely practical, and the day to day at “Sugar Mommas” becomes an often spicy mix. As old challenges, new loves and opportunities surface, these women embark on a journey of self-awareness, affirmation, and hope as they write the next chapter in their sweet lives.

“’Sugar Mommas’ is an exceptionally entertaining stage play that provides interesting character roles not only for female actors of color, but for female actors in an age bracket that the entertainment industry as a whole tends to under-represent,” said Leslie Chesloff, executive vice president of programming at GMC. “It’s a life stage that’s rich with possibilities for growth and learning, which this production celebrates—as do we at GMC.”

The GMC broadcast of “Sugar Mommas” is produced by Swirl Films’ Eric Tomosunas, who has produced and taped numerous stage plays and feature-length films for television and DVD including, “Love Me or Leave Me,” “The Ideal Husband,” Love for Sale,A Mother’s Prayer, and There’s a Stranger in My House.

“Sugar Mommas” is the sixth original gospel stage play to air in GMC’s hit series following the success of GMC productions “Love Me or Leave Me”, “The Ideal Husband”, “She’s Not Our Sister,” “The Love You Save,” and “She’s Still Not Our Sister.” GMC, which has more installments planned for 2012, is the only network producing the popular medium and bringing it to a broad television audience.

“We could not be more thrilled with the overwhelmingly positive response we’ve received for our gospel plays, which have become a cornerstone of our programming,” said GMC Vice Chairman Brad Siegel. “These heartwarming, funny and uplifting stories feature characters that are vibrant and real, and who face challenges many of us can identify with. It’s that ‘reliability factor’ that has made this stage play series so successful, and “Sugar Mommas” is no exception.”

ABOUT GMC: (www.watchGMCtv.com) is America’s favorite television channel for uplifting music and family entertainment. The Parents Television Council™ awarded its Entertainment Seal of Approval™ to GMC for being “an authentic family-friendly cable network.” In 2011, GMC was the second fastest growing ad supported cable network in total day households and A18-49. GMC can be seen in more than 51 million homes on various cable systems around the country, as well as DISH Network on channel 188, DIRECTV on channel 338 and Verizon FiOS on channel 224. Follow GMC TV on Facebook and Twitter at http://facebook.com/gmctv and http://twitter.com/gmctv.

Without a doubt America has the coolest president out of the 44 Presidents that have had the honor of leading this great country.  

At a New York fundraiser at the historic Apollo Theater, President Barack Obama shocked those in attendance by singing Al Green’s hit song ‘Lets Stay together’ while Al Green set in attendance.  

Obama recognized the legendary singer as “Reverend” Al Green and said sandman didn’t even have to boo him off stage.

The shocking part was that Obama didn’t sound that bad!  What do you think of Obama’s voice?  Does he have your vote for re-election? 

Bishop Eddie Long’s New Birth Missionary Baptist Church plans to reopen its New Birth Academy on Thursday, according to Channel 2 Action News.

New Birth’s announcement in late December that the school would close after 18 years sent hundreds of students scrambling to find a new school. The church said then it would have to close the school due to the sluggish economy and low enrollment. 

New Birth spokesman Art Franklin confirmed to Channel 2 that it was announced at Sunday’s worship services that the academy will reopen through a cooperative agreement with Aurora Day School. Franklin declined to release details on what role Aurora Day School will play in New Birth Academy operations, saying the details would likely be released during a news conference later this week. Aurora has campuses in Tucker and Roswell.

Franklin told Channel 2 that all students, including those previously enrolled at New Birth, will need to enroll this Wednesday at New Birth between 7 a.m.  and 7 p.m. He said New Birth Academy plans to reopen its doors this Thursday.

The pre-K-12 school, founded by new Birth’s senior pastor Bishop Eddie Long, had an enrollment of 221, according to the Georgia Independent School Association, and employed 20 teachers. Just a few years ago, the Lithonia academy boasted of having one teacher for every eight students.

The news that it would close capped a tumultuous year for Long, who was back in the pulpit Sunday after a brief leave in December to take some time off from pastoral duties to tend to “family business,” he said. In May, he settled a sexual coercion suit filed against him by four former New Birth members. Earlier in December, his wife of 21 years, Vanessa, filed for divorce. Long returned New Year’s Eve and has continued to do so at weekly services.

Karen Clark Sheard’s Karew (pronounced: Kuh-rue) Records has signed multiple Stellar Award winner and GMA Dove nominated recording artist Jonathan Nelson to an exclusive recording agreement, the company announced today. Nelson, one of gospel music’s top contemporary worship leaders and songwriters, has a new project that will be released by Karew Records in late spring/early summer 2012.

“I have been a longtime follower and supporter of Jonathan’s ministry as praise and worship leader,” said Clark Sheard, co-founder of Karew Records. “Jonathan is an extremely gifted, talented and anointed artist — and a great songwriter too. He is our first signee to the label from outside of the Clark Sheard family, and we are excited that he chose Karew Records as his new home.” Bishop J. Drew Sheard added, “We are building a record label on the legacy of great talent and ministry that keeps with the family tradition, and Jonathan is certain to help us do just that.”

Through his relatively short career, Nelson has penned several hit songs including Donald Lawrence’s “Healed,” for which he won a Stellar Award for Songwriter of the Year in 2006. He had initially recorded the song for himself on his independent debut project, Live In Baltimore: Everything You Are. One of Nelson’s biggest songs to date is Youth For Christ’s congregational ballad, “The Struggle Is Over,” which spent 12 weeks at #1 on Billboard’s magazine Hot Gospel Songs chart and was the sleeper hit of the summer of 2006. Other hit songs written by Nelson include Bishop T.D. Jakes’ “My Praise Is My Weapon” and “Right Place,” a song he wrote with Troy Sneed for Pastor Rudolph McKissick which became a top Billboard gospel hit.

Nelson’s most successful CD project to date is his second recording and debut project with a major label. The award-winning and critically-acclaimed Right Now Praise (Integrity Music) garnered three Stellar Awards and received a recording breaking eight Stellar Award nominations in 2008. That year, Nelson received more Stellar nominations than any other artist in gospel music. Several months later, he received two GMA Dove nominations for Best New Artist of the Year and Contemporary Gospel Song of the Year for the hit song, “My Name Is Victory,” which spent 65 weeks on Billboard’s Hot Gospel Songs chart and the single was cited as the Most Singable Song of the Year by Gospel Today magazine (2008).

In 2010, Nelson released Better Days (Integrity Music), a live CD recording with his 18-member group, Purpose. The CD was produced by GRAMMY® Award-winning producer Aaron Lindsey and was recorded at the Faith Center in Sunrise, FL, where Nelson is currently the minister of music (Bishop Henry Fernandez, Senior Pastor).

“I am thrilled to have joined the Karew Records family with Bishop J. Drew Sheard and Karen Clark Sheard,” said Jonathan Nelson. “I had my first experience in the gospel music industry with Karen more than 10 years ago; how fitting to now be joined to her company. This connection is going to be absolutely amazing! It has been declared at my church that 2012 is the year of ‘great opportunity.’ I receive that and continue to expect greater things to come. Get ready!”

Nelson’s father, Bishop James Nelson, was the senior pastor of Greater Bethlehem Temple Church in Baltimore, MD, for over 30 years. Jonathan Nelson and Clark Sheard’s relationship began when she was first invited to his father’s church as a special guest artist. She made a request for background singers, and Nelson, along with a group of singers from the church, now known as Purpose, sang with her.

Nelson’s brother, Jason Nelson, is a recording artist with Verity Gospel Music Group. Nelson was born and raised in Baltimore, MD and currently resides in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida. He is married with two children.

ABOUT KAREW RECORDS

Karew Records was founded in 2009 by multiple award-winning gospel legend Karen Clark Sheard and her husband Bishop J. Drew Sheard. Based in Detroit, MI, Karew Records was initially established as a label home for the family’s various recording projects. The label roster includes Karen Clark Sheard, Kierra Sheard, The Clark Sisters and the production works of producer, JDrew Sheard II (JDS). Karew Records is a faith-based label focusing on various forms of gospel, Christian and inspirational music for all nations and generations. In 2012, Karew Records signed renowned worship leader and recording artist Jonathan Nelson. This signing marks the label’s first acquisition outside of the family namesake.

www.jonathannelson.us

www.karewrecords.com